Quite an obscure one by Love – a mid 70s record that actually has quite a bit of soul in the mix! The album almost seems to be going for a Sly Stone approach – expanding the group past Arthur Lee and crew with a host of additional players that include Harvey Mandel, Bobby Lyle, and Joey Deguero. There's still plenty of bluesy and rocky tracks – but there's also a great cover of William DeVaughn's "Be Thankful For What You Got" – done in a chunky mode that really hits a great groove with us (and which is proof that people were covering the tune even back when it was first released!) Other tracks move between soulful rock, Thin Lizzy-esque compressed guitar numbers, and other styles that show a bit more soul than might be expected. Titles include "Time Is Like A River", "Everybody's Gotta Live", "You Said You Would", "Busted Feet", "With A Little Energy", and "Who Are You". LP, Vinyl record album

Another great step forward for the legendary John Mayall – proof that he was never just content to copy American blues modes, and always willing to bring something new to the table! Although steeped in sounds from the delta on up to Chicago, the record's also got a hipper, almost trippier feel at times too – long-winding interplay between the guitar and organ, and some slow-building rhythms that shake off blues stereotypes, and mark Mayall as having an equal ear for forward-thinking 60s rockers. The group here is great – with Mick Taylor on guitar, Henry Lowther on cornet, Chris Mercer on tenor, and Dick Heckstall-Smith on tenor and soprano sax – all playing in a freely creative mode that stands the test of time surprisingly well Titles include "I'm A Stranger", "Harley Quits", "Killing Time", "Sandy", "She's Too Young", and "No Reply". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible jazz rock from Soft Machine – recorded after Robert Wyatt left the group, and for some reason, a bit overlooked because of that fact – but still a pretty darn great album, awash in long tracks with plenty of jazzy touches – still finely crafted in the sublime crossover mode that was coming out of the UK at the time, and of which Soft Machine was one of the strongest proponents! There's loads of strong fusiony moments built around keyboards and guitar – almost funky at times, and stretching forth with a freely exploratory sound! 12 cuts in all – with titles that include "Day's Eye", "Down The Road", "The German Lesson", "The French Lesson", "Nettle Bed", "Bone Fire", and "Snodland". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 60s Bosstown psychedelia at its finest – and one of the coolest psych era nuggets on the MGM label! The '68 Ultimate Spinach LP has enough raw, hypnotic rock & roll in the mix to have made it a bonafide hit LP at the time, but there's all kinds of weirder, tripped out and kind of baroque touches that kind of make it one of the stranger LPs to walk on the edge of the mainstream – with oddball spoken word bits and more. Includes "Ego Trip", "Sacrifice Of The Moon (In Four Parts)", "Plastic Raincoats/Hung Up Minds", the 8 minute standout "(Ballad Of The) Hip Death Goddess" certainly one of the more influential jams on the record, plus "Your Head Is Reeling", "Dove In Hawk's Clothing", "Baroque #1", "Funny Freak Parade" and "Pamela". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal record in the sound of the US scene at the end of the 60s – and a record that seems to trace an entire evolution in rock during the space of just one album! Touch have roots that go back to The Kingsmen and Don & The Goodtimes – and you can definitely hear garage elements in the organ and guitars – but they're also stretching out freely in all the heady freedoms of the late 60s – with a soaring approach that definitely lives up to the cover image! There's a blend of rough and rootsy with confident and cosmic going on – a really powerful approach that's made the album a standout for years, even if the group never hit some of the fame of their bigger contemporaries. Titles include "We Feel Fine", "Friendly Birds", "Down At Circe's Place", "The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer", and "Seventy Five". LP, Vinyl record album